October Thirty-First
by jamespotterthefirst
Summary: Even before they were a couple, they always seemed to spend Halloween together. Series of oneshots.
1. 1975

**A/N: Hi! This is my contribution to "Jily October" which consists of making something in honor of our favorite couple. I spent the last five days deciding whether to publish this in parts or as a gigantic one-shot. I decided in parts felt better and less overwhelming. Basically, each chapter will be a different Halloween for Lily and James. I know some of you probably already know where I'm going with this. I already know where I'm going with this and I dread it. **

**Rated M for later chapters.**

**Disclaimer: All of this is Jo's.**

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**October 31****st****, 1975. **

It was the scratching of that bloody quill that irked him the most— not the fact that he was stuck in detention while his mates enjoyed a delicious Halloween feast. He could even tolerate that he was stuck there with the most maddening person he could think of. But it was the incessant scraping of her quill against the parchment, loud as nails on a chalkboard and moving at such a furious pace that he could see the muscles of her arm jolting against her pale skin, that really drove him mad.

James shut his eyes tight, willing himself to concentrate on his lines. But as he stared at the pitiful progress he had made in the last thirty minutes, all he could think of was the irritating noise she was making in the otherwise silent classroom.

"Evans," he finally said through gritted teeth. "Do you mind?"

It was as if she hadn't heard him at all for she continued to scribble her lines, eyes fixed stubbornly on her parchment. From where he was sitting, he would see jaw working, fingers grasping her quill so tightly that they glowed a ghostly white in the dim lighting of the room.

"Hang on," he demanded, setting his own quill down. "You're not angry at _me, _are you?"

Lily stopped scribbling all together, lifting her head from her parchment but still not looking at him. "Why?" he all but yelped. "It's not as if it's my fault we're stuck in here!"

Now she really did look at him and he wasn't wrong when he guessed she was livid, her lips white as she glared daggers at him. What he did _not_ expect was the sudden jolt in his stomach as her glare met his. "You're joking, right?" she asked tartly. "Who was the one who thought it'd be _hilarious_ to bewitch the Charms corridor upside down?"

James only stared at her, obsessed with figuring out what it was that made her look so different. Luckily, she was too angry to notice, so he recovered and said, "It would have been if you had let me gone through with it."

In fact, she was too angry to even listen to him. "_And_," she went on, "Who was the _idiot_ who gave McGonagall cheek when she caught us?"

It was her eyes. In her anger, her eyes looked brighter, green with tiny flecks of gold, like those mornings in the forbidden forest he liked so much when he would look up and through the canopy of trees he would see the golden rays of sun peeking through. Her face was bright, too, rosy all the way down to her neck and collarbones. His eyes continued downward until they rested on the bit of her breasts that her unbuttoned blouse allowed him to see… He tore his eyes away, feeling the heat creep up his own neck. "Right, so it's all my fault?" he said when he realized he had been quiet for too long. "You didn't have to sneak out to follow me."

The redhead, however, was too busy stuffing her thngs into her bag. She was muttering unintelligibly and James only caught a few bits. "If you had only kept your mouth shut…"

His stomach was in knots, but despite that, he felt his anger flare up again. "If _you _had kept your mouth shut in the corridor, we wouldn't have gotten caught!"

Her head snapped back up to glower at him. "I was _trying_ to stop you from losing us even _more_ points after that stupid little stunt you and Black pulled the last Quidditch match against Slytherin!"

"We were provoked! You didn't hear what those wankers said!"

"It doesn't _matter_ what they said! You don't stoop to their level and just punch them in the face, Potter!"

She was right but he wasn't about to tell her that. "You know what doesn't matter? Your precious little House points. Nobody but the first years care about the sodding House cup."

"They matter to me!" she shot back indignantly. "We all work so hard to earn them and it's not fair for you and your mates to blow them on stupid, childish pranks that got old ages ago!"

"You need to stop being such a killyjoy and loosen up, Evans."

"_You_ need to stop being a selfish prick all the time!"

She flung her book bag over her shoulder with such force that it slipped off continuously. Lily grew angrier each time she slid it back into place and the sight made his anger fade away, slowly replaced with amusement. "Where are you going?"

"I'm done with my lines," she replied stiffly, struggling with the strap of her bag which was now tangled in her hair.

Webbing his fingers behind his head, he leaned back in his chair and propped his feet on the table. "McGonagall said to stay here until she came to fetch us," he informed her in his best impersonation of her voice.

"I don't care," she snapped. "She knows where to find me if she wants to yell." Having sorted her bag out, she turned on her heel, her long red hair dancing in waves as she did so, tantalizing him for the briefest of seconds.

James sat up as she reached the door. "Evans, wait," he called.

Lily paused and turned to look at him, irritated. "What?"

James didn't reply.

She raised her eyebrows impatiently. "Potter, _what?_"

"Nothing," he told her at last for even he wasn't sure why he stopped her in the first place.

She huffed, face darkening with color again. "You're such an idiot." And with that, she slammed the door behind her.

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A/N: Thank you for making it this far. See you in a few days with 1976.


	2. 1976

**A/N: Thank you so much reviewers and followers! I was so nervous about starting this because I wasn't sure if anyone would like it. Thanks again for proving me wrong.**

** All right so I felt like a crazy person writing the years after this because _so much_ changes between them in just a year. So when reading this, just keep that in mind. In this particular year, for example, the events of "Snape's Worst Memory" have already occurred. In my head canon, _that_ is James's turning point. That's the rude awakening that tells him it is time to grow up. Also, in my head canon, Lily sort of apologizes for the horrid things she says at some point. They obviously don't become friends but tensions between them improve a bit._ Anyway_, I hope that makes sense. If I try to elaborate more, I'll end up writing a whole one-shot about it in this note.**

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**October 31st, 1976.**

The pack of boys by the Transfiguration stacks chortled again, the sound stifled at first but eventually growing louder when they couldn't hold it in any longer. James pressed his palms against his temples as if that would help shut them up. At the very least, he hoped the gesture would ease the frustration he felt with his History of Magic book. But as the boys chortled loudly once again, he knew he'd have no hope of ever passing Binn's exam the following morning.

It was just his bloody luck that the one time he actually tried to study, it would be rendered impossible. Another explosion of laughter and, wondering where the omnipresent librarian was when she was most needed, James strode over to their table.

"Evening, lads," he said pleasantly looking around at their round faces. They couldn't have been a year above third. "Believe it or not there's people who come to the library to study so I'll have to ask you to stuff it."

The four boys gaped at him and James was unsure if they were more befuddled by the fact that James Potter was actually trying to study or that he was telling them to adhere to a rule. One of them recovered immediately and with a sly grin he asked, "You're taking the piss, aren't you, Potter?"

"Yeah, we're only having a bit of fun. Don't be such a wanker, mate."

James blinked at them, wondering if he had ever used language like that when he was thirteen. He remembered almost instantly that he had, perhaps even worse.

He opened his mouth to argue but a series of giggles from a nearby table interrupted him. Like magnets, the boys' heads turned to the source of the noise. It was a group of girls from their same year, talking quietly as they packed their supplies. One of them whispered something to the blonde one in the group and she cast a sideways glance their direction. Immediately, she looked away, nose wrinkled and followed her friends out of the library.

"Ah," James said when the boys finally looked away as if snapped from a trance. "Should've guessed. You were acting like prats just now to get their attention, yeah?" He took their silence and the nervous glance two of the boys exchanged as a yes. "Clever," he condemned with a nod. "So simple. Foolproof, even. Probably would have gone with that myself," he went on, feeling his stomach twist with something akin to shame at remembering that he had. "I can see how that seems like a brilliant idea now, but let me save you loads of embarrassment right now and tell you they're not impressed."

The same boy who spoke first sneered. "What do you know?"

"I know," he started sharply, deciding he didn't like him at all, "that if you're thinking of asking out that blonde bird to the Halloween party at the Gryffindor tower tonight you are wasting your time because you both look twelve years old and there is no way in hell McKinnon will let you in. And also because acting like a tosser to impress her is actually convincing her that you undeniably are an annoying, conceited twat."

"_Mister Potter_," the sharp voice of Madam Pince rang out behind him. "I will not tolerate language like that in my library!"

"What, me calling him a twat?"

"Out,"

"I was only trying to—"

"_Out!_"

And so James had no choice but to do just that. Stuffing his books into his book bag and hastily throwing it over his shoulder, he made his way out of the library, accepting the inevitability that he would fail Binn's exam. At the very least, he had McKinnon's party to look forward to.

"Potter, wait!"

He turned and there she was, hurrying to catch up with him. _Merlin_, he really did hate it when his stomach did that.

"Evans," he said as a form of greeting, surprised at how even his voice sounded when really, he was smothering the urge to run his fingers through his hair.

She slowed her pace until she finally halted in front of him, rearranging the strap of her bag which, just like his, was hastily packed in her rush to leave the library. They stood there in the middle of the corridor, and she said nothing at first, working on steadying her breath. It struck him that she might have heard everything he said to the boys back in the library, including the bit about acting like gits to impress the girls. His throat felt dry at the very thought. When the silence became unbearable, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and rolled on the balls of his feet. "Er…" he started, unsure of what to say.

Lily, however, considered him for a bit longer, eyes never wavering from his. They drove him mad, those eyes of hers.

"Back there," she finally said, beckoning toward the library. "That was…" She trailed off, and James never found out what that was because with a small shake of her head, she told him, "I was about to tell them off myself."

"Probably would have been better. They would have actually listened to you."

Lily smiled weakly though she did not disagree. "It was unfair for Pince to kick you out like that, though. If you want, I can go back and explain that you were only trying to shut them up."

James raised his eyebrows at her in response. This made her shift somewhat uncomfortably, but before she felt like she needed to offer any justification, he waved his hand dismissively and said, "Nah, I won't be able to get anything done with the racket they're making." Another bout of silence and he wondered if she was going to go back to the library, but Lily did not move nor did she make an effort to. Instead, she continued to silently scrutinize him. It unnerved him so he asked with a small shake of his head, "Is that really how annoying I was?"

"Was?" she repeated, blinking out of her reverie. "Still are." This she said with no trace of resentment, which was a relief.

"What? When?" he challenged, crossing his arms and peering down at her with interest. He had gotten so much taller than her over the past summer.

"Just the other day," she returned confidently, mirroring him and crossing her own arms over her chest, but unlike him, she cocked her hip out. "You and Black thought it so amusing to fling those annoying paper airplanes about."

"Ah, those," he said, remembering precisely what she was talking about. "Those were a test for something we're coming up with. But never mind that," he added quickly when she arched her eyebrows. "Even with those, we couldn't have been half as obnoxious as those little prats back there."

"We could argue that one for ages," she sighed. Straightening up, she nodded toward the end of the corridor. "Anyway, are you finding somewhere else to study?"

"No use," he said, shaking his head somberly. "I was thinking of just going up to that clandestine Halloween party McKinnon is throwing. It'd be rude not to since she went through all that trouble."

"How considerate of you," Lily said sarcastically.

He chuckled. "You're not going then? I thought you would what with her being your mate."

"I don't know," she started warily, "_because_ I am her friend, I have a pretty good idea of exactly what type of party it'll be and I'm not so sure."

"Come off it, Evans," he said. "If I did something as uncharacteristic as _trying to study_, not to mention, reinforcing a rule, then you can stop being a wet blanket for one night."

She shot him an unappreciative glare and he laughed again.

"Come on, Evans," he pressed on, exaggerating a pout which to his delight made her lips quiver. "If you don't like it, you can just go up to your room and do something productive that you will probably not regret the next morning."

The redhead squinted her eyes at him, deliberating. "I suppose…"

"Brilliant," he interjected before she could change her mind. "Come along, Evans."

* * *

They could hear the muffled thumping of music as soon as they reached the seventh floor corridor. How they expected to get away with it and not get caught was beyond James, but he found that he didn't care much.

After waving aside the disgruntled complaints from the Fat Lady about unruly teenagers, they gave her the password and climbed the portrait hole, all to be instantly swallowed by the swarm of bodies moving to the thunderous music. He grinned down at Lily who smiled and nodded toward the corner of the common room, the only place devoid of people.

"Merlin," she exhaled when they finally emerged from the crowd.

"Fancy a drink?"

The words had just left his mouth when he spotted his best mate, dancing his way through the horde and levitating three cups over the crowd with his wand.

"Prongs, mate," Sirius said loudly over the music, clapping a hand on James's shoulder and thrusting a cup into his hand. His slurred voice and the way he slightly swayed gave James an indication of how much he had already had to drink. "Glad to see you're back. Tell the prat who replaced you and insisted on studying that he's not welcomed back." His glazed eyes fell on Lily. "Evans," he said with an exaggerated bow of his head. "Always a pleasure." He gave her a cup, too, which she reluctantly took.

Lily swirled the liquid around, examining it closely, which prompted the two boys to laugh. "Don't worry, Evans. Haven't poisoned it or anything."

"Just making sure," she returned, taking a gulp. She scrunched up her face as the liquid went down her throat. They laughed again.

"Got lots to teach her, Prongs," he said, smacking his shoulders again. "In the meantime, I've got my own inexperienced partygoer to corrupt." He nodded toward a curvaceous brunette contemplating all the options at the drinks table. "I'll leave you two to it." And, tipping an invisible hat at Lily, he was gone.

"Such a charmer," Lily said dryly, taking another sip from her drink. Grimacing again, she shook her head and set the cup down on the windowsill next to them, ignoring James's laughter. "How do you drink this without choking?"

"Like so," he replied, tipping his cup back and downing more than half of its contents. He gulped it down without a wince and grinned at her. "Just like water, Evans."

She shook her head, but she was laughing nonetheless. "That tells you that you should probably quit, alike."

"When do I do what I should, Evans?"

Lily continued to shake her head but he was pleased to see that her broad smile lingered on her lips.

Neither said anything after that, both listening to the music pounding in their ears and watching how the number of ridiculous dance moves increased with the amount of alcohol consumed. Marlene McKinnon caught their eye from the dance floor, waving enthusiastically at them and particularly elated to see Lily there. She raised her eyebrows suggestively at her friend, and James could have sworn she nodded toward him. Lily, however, narrowed her eyes at her, which only made the brunette grin wider.

A new song started playing and it was greeted with cheers of approval by the crowd. He stole a glance at Lily and saw how her face lit up with recognition. Perhaps it was that glint in her eyes or the alcohol already warming his insides, but he felt braver.

"Hey, Evans," he said at last, surprised at how collected he sounded. She looked up at him expectantly. "Do you want to—"

He stopped when her eyes traveled to something behind him, making her tense up. Puzzled, James turned just in time to see a burly seventh year approach them. His name was Liam Fawcett is he wasn't mistaken, though his name became the last thing on his mind when he draped and arm over Lily. "Hey, I thought you weren't coming, " he told her before he leaned down and kissed her.

It was worse than being punched in the gut. His insides clenched like an iron fist and something akin to anger bubbled up inside him as he averted his eyes away.

"You all right?" Fawcett asked her when they pulled away.

"Yeah, fine," mumbled Lily though her voice said something else entirely.

"I'll get you a drink, yeah?"

She didn't bother to tell him that she already had one. With one last kiss, he disappeared.

Despite the music pounding so loudly that they could feel it in their bones, and regardless of all the people laughing and dancing and feeling as far from miserable as he did then, he was still deafened by the silence between them. And all through his body, he could feel his blood running hot, fueled by the amber liquid that burned his throat as he looked everywhere but at Lily.

He could feel her watching him, desperately looking around for something that would prompt a conversation. Finally, she followed James's stony glare to the dance floor and commented, "Merlin, everyone is so drunk. I told you it'd be mad."

"Yep," was all he replied, but he was convinced the sound was lost in the music. He brought his cup to his lips again, the flimsy plastic cracking in protest from the force with which he clutched it.

Lily stared at him again, opening her mouth to say something. Even from the corner of his eye, he could see her cheeks glow ruby red. "Potter, I—"

But he did not want to hear it. "I'm gonna go find Sirius," he informed her, eyes not meeting hers. Lily deflated instantly, starting to say something but her words caught midway and instead she only nodded. For some reason, that infuriated him even more. He was a few feet away, pushing through the throng of dancers, when he thought better of it. Fueled by sheer impulse and the anger swirling in the pit of his stomach, he turned around and marched up to her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Lily's eyes widened, shocked at seeing him return so abruptly and with such a brusque tone. "Tell you what?"

"Don't play stupid, Evans."

She recoiled though it wouldn't be Lily Evans if she didn't recover almost seamlessly, retorting with as much vehemence as him, "Was I supposed to?"

"Oh, I dunno," he started sardonically, "when a bloke convinces you to go to a party, it only makes sense to mention that your boyfriend might be there."

"Don't be so ridiculous, Potter!" she shouted. "We have _one_ conversation where we don't yell at each other and suddenly I have to tell you everything about my life?"

"It would have been nice," he snapped. "Maybe then I wouldn't have felt like such an idiot." No one was paying any attention to them, their voices lost in the ending notes of Lily's favorite song.

"_Why_ would this make you feel like an idiot?"

"Because—"

"Because _what?_"

She really had no idea and it killed him.

"You know what? Forget—"

"No!" she interrupted furiously, taking a hold of his arm as he turned away. "You always do this and I'm sick of it!" she spluttered, dropping his arm. "You do something admirable that might just change my mind about you, and then you go and you… and you fuck it up!"

He had never heard her curse before.

"Like this?" she went on, feverishly waving her hands between the two. "I don't have to tell you if I'm dating someone or not. I don't owe you anything! We're not even friends!"

He could tell that she regretted it immediately, very much like the time by the lake a few months ago. Her expression softened at once and she stumbled on her words as she tried to say something to fix it. James, however, was too furious, tired, and defeated to care. "Right," he said, struggling to keep his voice even.

"James, no, wait," she pleaded, raking her fingers through the front of her hair in frustration.

For the first time, he didn't wait.

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**A/N: And on to 1977 we go! **


	3. 1977

**A/N: **I fail. This was supposed to be finished by Halloween. Not just the chapter, but the whole thing. I had writing schedules and everything to finish it just on time. Then, I got promoted at work and it all went to hell. My goodness, who knew building and opening a new library too this much work? But anyway, I hope you're all still interested in reading it. I do appreciate all the support you've shown this.

And to answer some of your questions, yes, the plan is to go all the way to 1981.

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**October 31****st****, 1977.**

Their eyes met again and just like the first time, he could hear his pulse thundering at his ears. This time, it was Lily who held his gaze the longest for he directed his attention back to Professor Flitwick's lecture. Regretting that decision at once, he glanced up at her to find her still staring at him, amusement flitting across her features. Something about that little smile tugging at her lips drove him mad, but before he could waste time wondering why, he just accepted the fact that _everything_ about her drove him insane. The worst part was that he knew, sooner or later, that delicate, dangerous little game they played would blow up in his face.

"All right, Evans?" he mouthed when Flitwick wasn't looking.

No, the worst part was that he didn't care.

Her smirk stretched wider across her face and her fingers, whether consciously or not, played with her hair. His eyes followed the lining of her blouse to watch them, finding it difficult to stop himself from staring at her chest. With a small shake of his head, he forced his eyes back to hers only to find her watching him with an unreadable expression. The absence of anger every time she caught him staring was still a bit unsettling to him.

Lily shifted in her seat and returned her attention to Professor Flitwick, forcing James to do the same. Concentrating on the lesson from then on, however, was impossible because his eyes would shift to her like magnets and, to his pleasure, he caught her having the same problem.

At the clang of the dismissing bell, she met his eyes again and beckoned silently toward the door. Keeping his expression as controlled as possible, he nodded and watched her go.

"Reckon we should nick pastries from the feast or should we sneak into the kitchens later tonight?" Sirius asked as the four packed their bags.

James's attention, however, was still fixed on the redhead as she exited the classroom and stepped aside to wait for him. The three others followed his line of sight and understanding flitted across their faces. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"You and Evans walking together again?"

"Seems like it," replied James.

His best friend only shook his head tragically, granting him a sympathetic slap on the shoulder. "We'll be at the end of the table, waiting for you to return and tell us all about how you embarrassed yourself."

James glared at him.

Peter snorted with laughter and James redirected his frown at him. Before he could retort with anything, Remus spoke up, "We'll see you later, Prongs."

And with that, he ushered the other two boys toward the exit, Sirius murmuring something about pathetic sods as he went.

James's eyes traveled back to Lily, who was pulling lint off her sweater as she waited at the door for him. He could see her saying something to Marlene McKinnon, who smirked knowingly in response and waved at her friend before disappearing down the corridor. Once alone, she remained by the door, fiddling with her fingers, quietly watching the students file out. When she reached up to blindly fix her hair, he felt his stomach soar.

"Impatient to see me, are you?" he asked her when he approached her.

Lily jumped and then ceased all movements at once, though she recovered quickly, arching an eyebrow at him. "Pretentious as ever, Potter," she commented, though there was something different in her voice. Her hands, he noticed, were busy twisting the hem of her sweater. "I wanted to talk to you," she informed him, sounding slightly out of breath.

It was his turn to raise his eyebrows. "I'm all ears, Evans."

"Right," she started, looking at her feet for a moment. She tried to inconspicuously draw in her breath, but he noticed and it only made him itch with curiosity.

James crossed his arms as he waited, leaning sideways against the doorframe. All the students had by then finished filing out of the classroom.

"Right," she repeated, growing darker with color.

"Right," James repeated to tease her, prompting her to finally meet his eyes. He felt his stomach swoop.

He _hated_ that she could do that and have no idea.

"I've been thinking about a few things…" she hedged.

"All right," he stared off slowly when she did not elaborate. "What sort of things?" Behind her, a group of girls giggled rather loudly. He would not have paid them any attention if it hadn't been for the shortest one of the lot. She locked her eyes on James and waved coyly at him. He tried his best not to furrow his brow.

"Well, just a few things…things that have been happening lately," Lily continued, oblivious to the distraction. The girls behind Lily started to join the crowd that passed them, all save for the short brunette who continued to smile significantly at James. He was certain that her name was Irene Capper, but he was at a loss as to why she continued to stare at him as if he knew her. Lily, meanwhile, continued to speak. "… and Marlene said that I should just tell you but I wasn't sure… not after everything that's happened in the past few years with us…" she paused to meet his eyes again, except James was still looking at the brunette.

Lily frowned and turned to look over her shoulder. Her muscles tensed and when she turned to look back at James, her lips were pressed together in an indignant line, cheeks flushed almost the color of her hair. "I can't believe—" she held her tongue and shook her head. "_Sorry_," she said bitterly. "I didn't realize I was interrupting something."

"No, I don't even—" he started but Lily, enraged, turned on her heel. "Fuck. Evans, wait!" He scrambled to follow her as she marched down the corridor at such a furious pace that those in her path hurried to step aside. But before he could make much progress, the brunette stepped in front of him.

"Potter, hang on," she said.

Too concerned about halting his step and not trampling her, James did not have a chance to offer a greeting, no matter how half-hearted. His eyes swiveled to Lily in the distance.

"You're going to Cauldwell's party at the Ravenclaw common room, right?"

Already frustrated at his helplessness, he tore his eyes away from the redhead's retreating form to stare at Irene incredulously. That was it? That was all she wanted to ask him? "Er…" he started, thinking it best not to voice what he really yearned to say.

"Should be fun, yeah?" she went on, unconcerned or unaware of his clenched jaw. A glint that made him nervous sparkled in her eye and she moved closer, slowly and dangerously until he could do nothing but back away. "Maybe we could…" she trailed off suggestively and the memory hit him like an iron fist to the gut. "Like last year?" she finished.

So _that's _why she was acting that particular way with him. He wasn't sure whether to feel shame or concern that he had successfully driven her out of his mind. As she waited for his answer, James felt both. His fling with her the previous year had been a mistake— an angry and reckless mistake after his row with Lily.

"I don't think so, Capper," he started, feeling worse by the minute.

"But—" started the brunette with a pout that inexplicably irritated him despite his guilt. Luckily, he only saw little of it as he called, "Don't reckon I'll make it to that one. Sorry," before he turned and dashed into the corridor.

It was no use, however, for Lily had long since disappeared. Cursing under his breath, he broke off into a jog down the corridor until he reached a tapestry so old and filthy that it was difficult to distinguish the art in it. He pulled it aside to reveal a staircase that led to the upper corridors of the castle, a shortcut he had discovered with Sirius in their fourth year. Not even stopping as he coughed slightly from the dust that shrouded him, he took the steps two at a time, arriving at the seventh floor corridor in half of the time.

He had been right in guessing that she would skip the feast and march straight to the Gryffindor tower because he saw her form hurrying toward the portrait of the Fat Lady, a mere few feet from him.

"Evans!" he called out, already knowing that it was useless. The distant clanging of her furious footsteps against the stone floor grew heavier as she quickened her pace. "Evans, wait!" he called again, breathless as he chased her. He was growing old and so very tired of always chasing.

Lily, on the other hand, only stopped to murmur the password to the Fat Lady.

"Evans," he repeated, this time successful in catching up and jumping in front of her to block her path as the portrait swung open.

She had no choice but to look at him. "Potter," she began warningly, eyes boring into his.

He ignored her. "What just—"

"Move," she interrupted.

"Are you angry?"

But this was obviously the wrong thing to ask because she threw him a glare so scalding that he staggered back a bit. "Potter, _move_!"

"Not until you explain what the fuck happened just now."

"Don't talk to me like that!"

He already regretted losing his temper, so instead, he asked, "At least finish telling me what you were—"

"_No_," she vehemently cut in, cheeks glowing scarlet. Lily tried to sidestep him, but he was far quicker. "Out of my way, Potter."

"Not until you tell me," he said stubbornly.

She shrieked in frustration, fists clenched tight at her sides. "God, you're such—"

"An idiot. Yeah, I know," he finished for her.

"— a _twat_," she went on as if he hadn't interrupted.

A mousy fourth year paused right behind them, taken aback for a moment. Her eyes grew wide as she took in the scene before her and quickly cast the portrait hole behind them anxious glances, mentally looking for a way to go around the arguing couple. Sighing in frustration, James stepped aside to let her in and Lily, taking advantage of the opportunity, marched inside.

"Fucking hell," he muttered again, pinching his nose in a feeble effort to regain his temper. Ignoring the Fat Lady's reprimanding comments about language from the other side of the portrait, he waited for the fourth year to scurry inside before hurrying to catch up with Lily. She didn't make it very far because James caught up without a problem, blocking her path to the girls' dormitory.

"Is this about Capper interrupting us?" he demanded.

Lily did not answer but she did not meet his eye either. There was no one in the common room except the mousy fourth year, who took a seat as far away from them as possible and pretended to read instead of trying to go up to her dormitory.

"I knew it!" he exclaimed, taking her silence as a confirmation.

Lily was defeated, and though she raised herself to her full height with as much dignity as she could, he knew her better than that. "It doesn't matter, Potter. Now, _move_!"

"Right, it doesn't matter, so why are you this cross with me?"

"Because," she started without finishing.

"Because?"

"_Because_, you idiot—"

"Because what?"

She looked slightly terrified for a moment so short, that he thought he had imagined it.

"Because what, Evans?" he asked again, his voice considerably softer.

Lily averted her eyes from his, shaking her head. "I'm going to the library," she informed him, already turning around. "Don't follow me."

James groaned as he watched her go and soon collapsed into the nearest armchair. He closed his eyes tight, feeling his head throb with exhaustion. He wondered why he even tried anymore if, more often than not, he ended up lashing out at her to mask how hurt he really was. It was easier that way anyway.

"Prongs?" someone muttered after what seemed like minutes later, shaking him slightly. He opened his eyes, disoriented for a few seconds before Remus's worried face swam into view. "Are you all right?"

He had fallen asleep on his chair, and as he sat up straight, his muscles felt stiff and aching. "What time is it?" James asked, his voice groggy from sleep.

"Almost midnight," Peter answered, mouth slanted with concern.

Sirius, on the other hand, looked livelier than the other two, his eyes glazed as he grinned sloppily at his mate.

"Went to Cauldwell's party, did you?" James asked dryly.

Remus and Peter exchanged guilty looks. "We thought you'd go with Lily," answered the former.

"Yeah, missed you and Evans," Sirius slurred. He winked suggestively at him as he added, "Ran off for some alone time, then?"

"Sod off, prat," James mumbled, remembering his argument with her.

Remus raised his brows. "Did something happen with Lily?" he asked cautiously.

James rubbed his eyes, blinking away the last traces of sleep. "Apparently," he replied tartly. "She's just so bloody confusing. We were getting on fine and then she goes mental over something ridiculous."

"What'd you do?" Sirius asked.

James glared. "What makes you think it was _my_ fault?"

"Isn't it always?"

He had a point but James refused to admit it. "It wasn't this time. All that happened was that Irene Capper interrupting our conversation."

"Ah," said Remus, understanding dawning on his face. For some reason, a smile played at the corners of his mouth.

James blinked, befuddled. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Remus insisted, smiling fully by now. "It's just obvious, isn't it."

Annoyed, James opened his mouth to disagree, but Sirius cut in by laughing his infamous bark-like laughter.

"Seems like Evans had another jealous fit," he said.

"..._What?_" But even as he said it, James's heart picked up.

"Yeah, everyone knows about you and Capper last year," Sirius pointed out, stretching on the sofa across from James. "So Evans is not too fond of her, is she?"

James felt his stomach twist with shame once more.

"And," Peter added, "she always gets like that when those Ravenclaw birds flirt with you in the corridors."

"She…" James started, at a loss for words. "But I... There's nothing going on with those birds... It's all stupid banter."

"Women," Sirius said, shaking his head. "That bird Helena got like that, too, whenever I even looked at Rose Riley."

"But you _did _sleep with Rose Riley," Peter pointed out.

"Not the point, Wormy."

James had stopped listening to them, his mind racing with memories of Lily, nervously playing with her sweater as she stumbled with words earlier yet determined to tell him something. Then there was the blush of her cheeks, particularly prominent every time he looked at her in class. And her irrational anger at Irene... Hadn't he felt the same about that prat Fawcett last year?

Heart hammering against his ribs, he jumped to his feet.

"Where are you going?" Remus asked him.

James did not reply. He turned to Peter instead. "Got the Map?"

Peter, equally as bewildered as Remus, reached into his pocket nonetheless and pulled out an old piece of parchment. James took it without offering further explanation and hastily unfolded it. After muttering the words that came almost as naturally as breathing, his eyes quickly scanned the surface of the map, praying that she wasn't in her dormitory where it would be harder to find her until the morning. But it didn't take him long to find the tiny dot labeled _Lily Evans, _moving slowly down the sixth floor corridor next to a dot labeled _Benjy Fenwick. _

Without a word, he folded the map, stuffed it in his pocket, and started toward the exit. He didn't get very far before Remus called out, "At least take this so can say you're patrolling if McGonagall catches you." He tossed him the shiny Head Boy badge that had fallen from his robes in his sleep. Muttering his thanks, James sprinted out of the portrait hole.

Lily and Benjy had reached the top of the staircase leading to the seventh floor corridor by the time he found them.

"I'm done," he could hear Lily telling her companion, looking as exhausted as James felt.

"You always say that," the Ravenclaw pointed out, his hands in his pockets as they walked.

"I mean it this time," Lily pressed on. "He is just so _frustrating_."

They stopped in their tracks as their eyes fell on James, Lily's face flushing pink. He could hear his heartbeat at his ears.

"Fenwick, mind if I borrow Evans for a few minutes?"

Benjy looked over at Lily to make sure she was all right with that. The redhead nodded silently in approval. "Yeah, I should go back now anyway," Benjy replied. "I was just walking Lily to her common room. It's almost midnight and the girlfriend will murder me if I get detention again."

"Avoid all the staircases in the east of the castle," James said to him. "McGonagall is patrolling those right now."

Benjy threw him a curious look, no doubt wondering how he knew that. "Right, thanks," he said. To Lily he added, "See you later, Lily." And he was gone.

There was silence as they looked at one another, both too ashamed to speak.

Finally, "I'm sorry," they both said at the same time.

Lily looked even more embarrassed for a moment, but continued, "It was all my fault. I really had no right to yell at you like that."

"Nah," said James dismissively.

Another silence.

"It's always Halloween, isn't it?" she said in a quiet voice. "This stupid day's always been awful for us." She raised her eyes to meet his. They remained there, green, bright, unwavering, and making his stomach tighten. They fell briefly to his lips and that's all it took to drive him over the edge.

"It's about time we changed that, yeah?" he said, feeling particularly bold. And before she had a chance to reply, he closed the space between them and caught her lips in his.

Lily froze, her mouth immobile in her shock, but as she recovered, she corresponded with as much enthusiasm. Her hands, which shook slightly, tangled themselves in his hair, eagerly roaming the back of his head and neck as if they longed to do that for quite some time. _His hands, _by contrast, stroked her sides, descending down to her hips to pull her body closer. Their hips rocked together and Lily responded with a hum, muffled against his lips as they moved fervently over hers. The sound egged him on and before becoming aware of doing so, he backed her into the nearest stone wall. Another hum escaped her lips and, before he could lose control entirely, he pulled away, plucking a few stray kisses from her lips instead.

"Bloody _hell_, Evans," he whispered as he continued to nibble her lower lip._  
_

"We didn't," she murmured against his lips.

"Didn't want?" he asked as he moved to press kisses on her jaw.

"We didn't change our streak of bad Halloweens," she informed him, looking at her wrist watch. James pulled away slightly to look at her, the sight of her swollen lips catalyzing the urge to kiss her senseless again. "It's past midnight," she explained.

James chuckled, shaking his head at her. "Already recording the time of the best snog of your life?"

Lily shoved his shoulder playfully. "Conceited prat," she told him though not spitefully. "I don't know why I'm this mad about you."

Something tugged at his chest with those words. He leaned in to press a quick but gentle kiss to her neck, which knocked the breath out of her. Pleased with her reaction, he flashed her a crooked smirk.

"Right," she said breathlessly. "That's why." And she pulled him down to her again.

* * *

**A/N**: 1978 in a few days, my loves!


	4. 1978

**A/N: **Thank you for all the support! Honestly, you guys, it means the world to me. You're all so lovely and patient :) Sorry this is taking so long. November was a crazy busy month. On top of that, I got really sick (still am) so sitting down to write has been almost impossible. _**Anyway, t****his chapter is one of the reasons I rated this fic M. So if sex/smut is not your thing, you might want to skip this one. Although, as always, I try to keep it as tasteful as possible.**_

On a final note, _Say When_ is still happening even if it is taking me 10 xs longer to update than I anticipated. I am striving to bring you that update!

**Disclaimer: **Characters are Rowling's.

* * *

**October 31****st****, 1978**

Lily giggled against his mouth as he kissed her, pulling back slightly to bite her lower lip upon realizing how loud the sound really was. James, however, was unconcerned and moved his lips to her jaw and down the length of her neck, itching to reach her exposed collarbones. His arms pulled her body closer to his and in response, Lily emitted as sigh that broke the silence of the dark living room.

"Dorcas is going to murder us," she whispered, breath hot in his ear. Despite her words, she made no effort to pull away from him. If anything, her body pressed itself even much closer.

James hummed against her throat, sending a shiver down her spine. "She doesn't have to know." He pulled back to flash her the lopsided smirk that he knew drove her mad. And just as he predicted, he could already see her eyes darkening.

"She'll know if you're as loud as you were last time." He was about to reply something clever about _her _being the loud one, but she bit her bottom lip again, arching an eyebrow invitingly in the way that drove _him _mad.

He caught her lips in his again, this time his tongue pushing against hers. She kissed him back just as eagerly and before he knew it, he found himself being pushed against the closed door. His stomach always tightened when she did that.

"I love you," she informed him in a whisper, but to him, they were the loudest three words in the world.

"Well, that's a relief," he said with a grin that betrayed nothing of his erratic, stuttering heart. "What with tomorrow."

Lily laughed but stopped immediately when the sound resonated loudly around the walls of the room. They stood very still, straining their ears for any indication that she had awoken Dorcas. When nothing but silence rang throughout the flat, she grinned at James, taking his hand and wordlessly leading down the unfamiliar path to the room Lily was using in Dorcas's flat for the night.

Very silently, she shut the door of the bedroom closed and flicked the lights on. Now that he could properly see her, his eyes fell on the dress she wore at dinner earlier, and just like before, he found it much more distracting that he was willing to admit. There was no need for him to, however, since Lily was quick on noticing.

With a coy smirk, she crossed her arms over her chest, obstructing his view, and asked, "Like what you see, Potter?"

"Always have, Evans," he returned.

She shifted her weight challengingly. "And what are you going to do about it?"

"Oh, I've got plenty of things I want to do in mind." He moved closer, prompting her to bite her lip again in the way that shattered his resolve to tease her.

"Yeah?" she asked, though this time, her voice was considerably lower, almost a raspy whisper that made his blood run hot. "Tell me."

"Better if I show you."

She had something clever and equally as seductive to reply, no doubt, but James stole the words as he broke the distance between them and nibbled at her lower lip, his movements measured, his hands patiently sliding down her sides. He could feel her body already reacting to him. Her impatience and sheer need for him hummed throughout her body and resonated in her sigh, like hot, live electricity. Despite his own raw urge to just crush his lips against hers and to secure her smooth, slender legs around his waist, he continued his deliberate movements, relishing the anticipation they both loved so much.

Lily, not as patient as he was, moved her body flush against his, her hands tugging at his hair, her sigh tugging at his chest, an invisible rope pulling him closer to her. Letting her eagerness take over, she pushed her lips fiercely against his, encouraging a smug smirk from him. She felt it and pulled back to scowl at him, though the effect of the gesture was entirely lost with the glint blazing in her eyes.

"Miss my body, Evans?" he teased.

"I could just stop right now if I wanted to, you know," she said breathlessly and thus unconvincingly.

His smirk grew wickeder as a response, his hands finding their way to her hips. "You could," he allowed, moving his lips down to her neck, hands caressing a trail from her hips to the zipper of her dress. "But you don't want to." Very slowly, he pulled it down, following the path of uncovered skin with the fingers of his free hand. She shivered. "I saw the way you looked at me tonight." The words vibrated against her neck.

"I look at you like that always," she returned rather breathlessly.

He hummed in agreement against her throat, eliciting a soft whimper from her. "Like you're undressing me with your mind? Don't think I haven't noticed." Lily tilted her head to one side as his lips reached the ridges of his collarbones. A soft moan escaped her when he sucked lightly at the skin.

"You're lucky I didn't undress you with my hands then and there."

James grinned, peeling the fabric of her dress with his fingers and pressing kisses on her newly exposed shoulders. "Wouldn't exactly call that lucky, love."

Her dress continued to cling to her body, though barely. The fabric revealed more than it covered of her breasts, arms and back. It would only take the slightest of tugs to send it plunging to the floor…

"Move faster and get this sodding dress off me," Lily finally snapped, cheeks ablaze with color, lips swollen and yearning for more of his.

James chuckled but obeyed. With a final yank, the fabric slid to a pile on the floor.

He felt her body shiver slightly and in response, his hands stroked her sides as his lips slid down the curve of her shoulder. With his teeth, he teased and pulled at her black, lacy bra strap, making Lily squirm in his hands. It was his turn to shiver, high on the pleasure he got from her eagerness.

Lily, however, didn't remain still for long. Unlike him, she was quick to unbutton his shirt open with such readiness that she sent a few buttons flying around them. "Sorry," she muttered breathlessly.

"Eager?" he teased though his breathlessness ruined the effect. The redhead was too busy peeling his shirt off to notice anything. Her hands roamed his naked chest, as if she was uncertain of where to begin first. When she caught his lips with hers and pushed her tongue against his, he lost all control.

Kissing her back with as much fervor, his hands slid down to her thighs and hitched her legs around his waist. Lily's surprised whimper was lost against his lips, her arms swift in securing themselves around his neck. The heels of the black pumps he had no intention of removing dug into the back of his calves, sending him further into a dizzying frenzy.

Lips never leaving hers, he balanced her weight and backed her into a wooden desk in the corner of the room. As soon as he set her down on its surface, Lily wasted no time in unbuttoning his trousers, sliding them keenly down his hips along with his boxers.

A harsh groan left him when Lily gripped him, her green eyes meeting his before she began to stroke him. Their lips found each other's like magnets as she increased the pressure and speed of her movements. "Fuck," he grunted when her lips fell down to his neck as she continued her movements.

Lily moaned when he reached behind her and discarded of her bra, his lips replacing the fabric at once. Her body arched into his mouth, slowing her movements until her hands ceased to stroke him altogether His mouth was doing too good of a job in distracting her. Her hands tangled themselves in the hair at the back of his head, pulling him down closer as he teased her breasts with lips, tongue, and teeth.

"James," she moaned, pushing her hips against his. He hissed against her chest, hands sliding down her body, fingers hooking around the hem of her knickers, the last piece of clothing clinging to her body.

"Off," Lily urged him breathlessly. He wouldn't have been so quick to obey any other night, taking his time instead to tease her, but they had been holding off for hours, sending each other meaningful looks across the dining hall. Without any trace of hesitation, he removed the garment, nails grazing lightly along her skin as he went. Lily whimpered and pulled him down to kiss him fiercely.

He pulled away soon after, allowing a moment to take in the sight of her, cheeks flushed and silky, red hair fanned out around her on the dark wood of the desk. Her eyes, hooded and dark, met his, silently pleading him to continue.

Leaning in to nuzzle her neck, he entered her. Lily's moan reverberated against his lips at her throat, her body arching off the desk.

"Faster," she urged him breathlessly, fingers digging into his back along with the heels of her shoes.

James complied, his hips thrusting against hers so rapidly that the movement drove the desk further into the wall with loud thuds. That, along with their moans and cries, were enough to awaken the whole neighborhood. But as Lily cried out his name, he found that he didn't care. Feeling himself close, he reached a hand in between them and rubbed Lily in rhythm with his thrusts. Her cries became louder, her hands clutching the sides of the desk as she pushed her hips faster against his...

With one final cry, she lifted herself up to press her mouth savagely against his, the sound of her release muffled against his lips. He felt his orgasm rip through him only seconds later.

They stayed like that for several minutes, bodies glistening with sweat in the orange light of the glowing lamp. When James regained control of his breath and legs, he gently lifted her up and carried her to the small bed.

Lily pulled the covers around them, not bothering to be neat. Instead, she used her last bit of energy to kick off her heels and move closer to him as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Hmm," he hummed.

"What?" she asked, eyes heavy with sleep.

James raised his wristwatch over her shoulder to glance at the time. Grinning, he pressed a kiss on her lips. "It's past midnight. Happy anniversary," he told her.

She became very alert at that. "I didn't think you'd remember."

James shook his head in mock disbelief. "How could I forget? Especially with tomorrow," he glanced at his watched again and amended, "Well, today."

He could see the blush returning to her cheeks, neck and shoulders as she bit back the full extent of her grin. Without saying anything else, she leaned in to kiss him.

"Do you have to go back?" she asked, lips lingering on his, eyes still closed.

"Nah, I'll stay here if you want me overnight."

"I want you always," she told him softly, though her eyes were fully closed by now. It was lucky for him. At least she couldn't see the foolish grin that broke across his face at the words. Feeling his own lids heavy with sleep, he pulled her close to press a kiss on her forehead before sleep overtook him as well.

* * *

It was the bright rays of sunlight peeking through the closed curtains that awoke him, burning behind his eyelids until he shielded his hand over his eyes, a groggy curse tearing from his throat. Lily stirred next to him, covering her face from the bright light as well. Muttering a series of curses that she had learned only from him, she blindly reached for her wand on the bedside table and flicked the curtains closed. She blinked a few times before her startling green eyes focused on him, stirring his insides.

"Morning," she murmured, leaning up to kiss his jaw.

Her warm lips felt good against his skin. "Morning, Evans," he replied, moving his arm to pull her closer.

"Not for long," she was quick to correct, though James paid little attention, already missing the warmth of her lips. Before he could capture them in his, however, she twisted around in the sheets to look at the clock on the tiny bedside table. With a sigh, she informed him, "Dorcas is going to come get me in a few minutes."

Unconcerned, James pulled her close to him by the waist. Lily's tiny shriek of surprise gave way to laughter as her hands settled on his chest. "So now that you've had your way with me, you're kicking me out?" He plucked a kiss from her lips.

Lily's only response was a hum as she pressed her lips against his to stop him from breaking apart. "She'll kill you if she finds you here," she said when she finally broke away.

James chuckled.

"You think I'm joking," she said, pulling back slightly to look at his face. "She'll give you this long lecture about how it's bad luck and all that."

"S'all right," he told her, leaning in to kiss her neck. "I'm positive I already used up all my luck in getting you to marry me."

Lily's laughter was interrupted by a series of knocks on the door. "Lily," Dorcas's voice said from the hall. "You better get up if you want to be ready on time." She tried the knob several times. "Why is the door locked?"

Lily threw James a significant look before she called back loudly. "One moment, Doe. I'm getting dressed!"

"Don't be so ridiculous, Lily. It's nothing I haven't seen before," the other returned.

James raised his eyebrows at the redhead. Lily, however, only rolled her eyes. "I'm almost done. I promise," she called back.

"Fine," replied her friend through the door. "But if you're not ready in one minute, I'll hex the door down."

"She means it," Lily whispered to James, scrambling out of bed and urging him to do the same. Wordlessly, she untangled his clothes from hers and flung them at him. He caught them, amused smirk growing wider as she frantically kicked through garments, separating them.

Lily bit the inside of her cheek and the amusement in his smile slowly turned into fondness. She was nervous. He could see it in how her impatient hands raked through her hair as she knelt down to look for his shoes. The importance of the day was probably beginning to dawn on her just like it was on him.

His pulse quickened at the very thought.

"Potter, could you help me find your-" she stopped when she caught sight of the way he was looking at her. "What?"

He said nothing.

"Potter, what is it?"

"I love you," he told her, still unable to believe that after all those years of her asking the same thing, he could _finally _tell her.

Lily's face relaxed into a smile, the tension in her shoulders disappearing.

She rose to her feet and moved to him. With a soft kiss on the lips, she replied, "I'll always love you." She pressed another kiss on his lips before adding, "Now go get ready to marry me."

He grinned. "Been ready for ages, Evans," he told her with one last kiss.

* * *

**A/N:** See you guys in 1979!


End file.
